In Surprise Visit, Obama Delights AFSCME Members in Ohio

by Pablo Ros  |  September 19, 2012

Pres. Barack Obama made an unannounced stop at the Ohio AFL-CIO Convention in Columbus. (Photo by Joe Weidner, AFSCME Council 8)

Members of AFSCME Council 8, OCSEA and OAPSE, participating in the Ohio AFL-CIO Convention held in Columbus were delighted Monday when Pres. Barack Obama dropped by unexpectedly.

It happened near the end of the program, about 5 p.m., and members knew something was up when they were asked to clear the auditorium and make way for the Secret Service. They cheered and shouted, “We got your back,” as Obama came onstage and addressed them for approximately 15 minutes.

It was an electrifying moment. The President urged them to go out and vote this November, calling them the troops who would make his re-election possible. The two-day Biennial Constitutional Convention also featured speakers Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, the senior U.S. senator from Ohio.

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